What They Didn't Tell Us

Chapter 3 HER

Why am I here? This bed is not mine. This room is unknown to me. And the silence is a complete stranger.

Saif is gone. I don't know where Adalina is.

I hear whispers coming from the corner of the room. I look over and there are two neatly dressed women walking in. They chatter to each other as they fiddle with pointy metal objects. One of them has silky red hair, neatly tied into a bun. The other one has black hair that is pulled back into a high ponytail. Both women seem to be over 30.

Stay calm. Take a deep breath. Don't make any rash decisions. That's what got you into this mess.

"I just finished setting her in. Her nurse should arrive soon. Though, we should get the materials ready. Can you please go get the tray?" The red-headed woman says in an abnormally high pitch voice.

The black hair lady nods and complies, walking into the hall.

They seem to be nurses. I am in a hospital. Why? Where is Adalina?

Something clatters as the red-headed lady places a liquid on what looks like a soft cloud. I close my eyes. Can't give them a reason to knock me out again.

Someone grabs my hand and my soul nearly leaves my body. What is she doing?!

I opened my eyes to see what was going on. The red-headed lady sees and nearly screams. I don't give her enough time to though. There was a IV stand right near the bed. I knocked it down on her with all my might. There was a loud thump. She got knocked right out. Thank God she was not expecting it.

I have to hurry out. Knocking someone out was not exactly subtle. I sit up on the bed and hear the black haired lady.

"Carol?" She says from within the room behind the door.

OMG. What do I do? I can't let her come in.

I quietly get up from the bed and fake a cough.

"I'm fine... I just hit the table...Silly me." I say attempting a higher pitched voice, but cringing at my choice of words.

"Oh, ok... Are you sure you are ok?" The black-haired lady said. I can hear her footsteps. She's coming back.

I rush to the door, and peek my head out. No one is in the halls. I start running out of the room.

I hear a clatter of a tray and a scream and look behind me. Black-haired lady found that Carol was not actually ok.

I turn and there is someone right in front of me. I realize too late. I crash into him and we both fall.

He is probably one of the doctors keeping me trapped here. My anger begins to pour out of me. I start yelling at him and clawing at him. Why did he take people away from their homes? Where is Adalina?!

"Why did you do this! Why am I here? Where is Adalina?" I yell as I scratch him as hard as I can. He seems surprised. Good. He ruined so many lives!

"Saif would still be alive if it wasn't for you!" I yell, knowing I am the true cause of my friend's death.

I feel hands grab at me. They are taking me away again. No. I grab on to my latest victim as he lays confused and surprised on the ground. They can't take me away. I won't be able to take care of Adalina!

"Where is Adalina?!" I repeat over and over again without an answer.

I feel a sharp pain in my shoulder and see someone injecting me with something. I start feeling weak and drowsy.

"Where is Adalina?" I whisper, wanting an answer, but still not getting one.

...

I slowly feel my body coming back to life. I open my eyes to a dim room. I am on a bed that is nowhere near as comfortable as the last one I laid in.

I am in a completely different room.

I sit up on the bed and start to quietly stand up. I don't know who is around here, and I don't want them finding out that I am awake.

As I get off the bed I become very aware of how squeaky it is. Every movement of mine causes me to cringe as the possibility of being found increases each time.

I finally get off the bed. Slightly shaking.

There is a small window with thick metal bars symbolizing my imprisonment. There's no way I can escape through there.

On the opposite wall there's a huge metal door. Am I really that dangerous? Actually, yes I am. I don't blame them for going to these measures. I did jump on and scratch someone... And basically killed my best friend... I shudder.

I have to get out of here. I need to get to the door. That's my only means of escape.

I tiptoe over to the door and swiftly grab the knob. I turn it downwards and it clicks.

But the door does not budge.

I try again. And again. No luck.

Ugh. What do I do now?

I lean back against the door and slowly slide down to the floor.

I couldn't protect Saif. I couldn't protect Adalina. And I can't protect myself.

As I sit alone, my mind wanders to past memories.

▪︎▪︎▪︎ *by the way, these bold dots mean a transition to or from a flashback:)*

"Saif! I can't get this right!" I said exasperated. More than ready to give up.

"Try again. You can't just give up like that, Protea," Saif said with his normal calming and patient tone. Though, that day, it was not exactly helping me calm down.

We were making tomato soup, but against my efforts I couldn't make it taste right. Either there's too much salt or too little tomato. Too much pepper or too little taste in general.

"This is so hard! Can't you just do it? I will never get it right!" I say feeling sad, but expressing it with rage.

Saif took care of me and Adalina, but it was time I learned some skills to survive as well. I am a hard worker, I can push myself to the max and do great. Though, cooking has never been my strong suit.

"Look, Protea. If you don't want to do it that's fine. Though, remember that this decision will affect what you know later on," Saif said.

"But..." I say, wondering if I truly wanted those consequences.

"Or, if you do want to learn, don't stop when it gets hard. Look at it differently. Once, a friend of mine told me 'If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.'"

~(*Actual person who said it was Wayne Dyer*)~

"Well... How do I change the way I look at things? It will be a tomato soup no matter how I look at it," I say, challenging his wisdom, but still hoping for some truth to his words.

He chuckled. "True. But you can look at it with different emotions and feelings. You can be happy when you look at the perfect tomato soup you will one day make after lots of practice. Or, you can look at the first few attempts with anger and sadness and give up. Not knowing all the amazing skills you could have learned and memories you could have made while learning. It is all about perspective. And right now you can look at one more awful soup, or one more step to success," Saif said with a confident look in his eyes. He knew what he was talking about. And I knew he was correct.

▪︎▪︎▪︎

"If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change," I repeat softly out loud as I sit, leaning on the cold and smooth door of my metal prison.

I can escape. This is just a slow moment. That's okay. When I get the chance I will escape. Then I can teach Adalina all the amazing lessons Saif did not have the chance to teach her.

If she is still alive...

I sit in silence.

Then I hear the door handle click.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Anybody else excited to see what is going to happen next?!!!

Stay tuned for more!! :D

-The Marias